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道Nihongo Path
夜

夜·night

On-yomi
ヤ
Kun-yomi
よるよ

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

8 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
夜よるnight
今夜こんやtonight
夜中よなかthe middle of the night
昨夜さくやlast night

Example sentences

  1. 夜は星がきれいです。

    よるはほしがきれいです。

    The stars are beautiful at night.

  2. 今夜は早く寝ます。

    こんやははやくねます。

    I'm going to bed early tonight.

  3. 夜中に電話がかかってきました。

    よなかにでんわがかかってきました。

    I got a phone call in the middle of the night.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • 夜中 is read よなか, not *やちゅう.

Memory aid

Picture it

A person tucked under a roof with the evening moon shape 夕 at their side — night has come.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 夜 mean?